^ ^ Why Dani Carvajal was angry with Bukayo Saka in Arsenal win vs Real Madrid

Dani Carvajal clashed with Bukayo Saka at half-time during Arsenal’s win over Real Madrid (TNT Sports)

Dani Carvajal is facing a possible suspension from UEFA over his clash with Bukayo Saka during Real Madrid’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Mikel Arteta’s side secured their place in the Champions League semi-final where they will play Paris Saint-Germain following their victory at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Arsenal held a commanding 3-0 lead from the first leg last week but missed the chance to extend that advantage in the first half as Saka’s penalty was saved by Thibaut Courtois.

However, Saka made amends in the 65th minute as he beat Courtois with a neat dinked finish after being put through on goal by Mikel Merino.

Two minutes later, Vinicius Junior capitalised on a mistake from William Saliba to pull Madrid level but Gabriel Martinelli sealed Arsenal’s victory in injury time to silence the Bernabeu.

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Saka, meanwhile, was at the centre of a bust-up with Carvajal as the players headed down the tunnel for the half-time break.

Bukayo Saka saw his Panenka penalty saved by Thibaut Courtois (Getty)

Carvajal, who missed the game after undergoing knee surgery in October, made a beeline Saka and grabbed the Arsenal winger around the neck while he spoke to him.

But as Saka went to walk away, Carvajal held the 23-year-old by the arm and refused to let go before a member of Arsenal’s backroom staff stepped in to intervene.

In the closing stages of the game, Carvajal was seen watching the match from one of the corporate boxes at the Bernabeu.

According to Marca, Carvajal confronted Saka because he was unhappy with the Arsenal winger’s ‘disrespectful’ decision to take a Panenka penalty against Madrid at the Bernabeu.

But Carvajal, who scored a Panenka penalty in a shootout against Croatia in Spain’s Nations League final win in 2023, now faces punishment from UEFA for his clash with Saka.

As Carvajal was injured, he was not included in Madrid’s squad for the game against Arsenal and should not have been allowed in the technical area at any point during the match.

In 2014, Xabi Alonso was given a one-game ban by UEFA for his touchline celebration in the Champions League final against Atletico Madrid.

Alonso was unable to play in the final due to suspension and was not permitted to be on the bench during the game as he was not in the squad.

The former Liverpool midfielder was subsequently suspended for Madrid’s Super Cup final against Sevilla.

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^ ^ Mikel Arteta ‘wanted to slap’ Arsenal star after what he did against Real Madrid

Arteta said he was ‘worried’ by the decision taken by his player (Picture: Getty Images)

Mikel Arteta says he ‘felt like slapping’ Bukayo Saka after his first-half penalty miss in their Champions League victory over Real Madrid.

After a thrilling 3-0 win in the first leg back in north London, Arsenal had the chance to add to their lead early in the first-half at the Bernabeu on Wednesday night.

Mikel Merino was hauled down by Raul Asencio inside 10 minutes with a penalty awarded. Saka, so regularly flawless from 12 yards out, attempted an audacious Panenka which was clawed away by Thibaut Courtois.

Saka, who was involved in a half-time spat with Dani Carvajal after the miss, made up for that mistake with a goal after 65 minutes to extend the Gunners’ aggregate lead to 4-0.

While Vinicius Jr pulled one back moments later, Arsenal remained in control with Gabriel Martinelli wrapping up a famous win in Spain in added time.

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But speaking after the game, Arteta admitted he was ‘worried’ how his star man would react to the setback.

‘I might have felt like slapping him,’ Saka told reporters in Spanish. ‘He made that decision, and that’s it. I was worried about what it could do to him emotionally.’

Saka’s bold effort was easily saved (Picture: Getty)

Arteta added: ‘I can go on and on with individuals and a lot of different cases, I will answer in that same way.

‘With Bukayo, he stepped up, he didn’t score, obviously, that could be a turning point emotionally in the game because it gives him a lot of belief.

‘But then the way he handled the situation, the way he played afterwards, and the personality that he showed at his age. It’s the first time he’s played in this stadium, it’s incredible.’

Arsenal will now take on Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-finals of the competition after the Ligue 1 champions beat Aston Villa 5-4 on aggregate in their quarter-final tie.

Saka made up for the miss in the second-half (Picture: Getty Images)

It is just the third time the club have reached the last four of Europe’s premier club competition, eliminated by Manchester United in 2009 and beating Villarreal in 2006 en route to their final defeat to Barcelona.

‘It’s certainly another massive step. Where we finished last year and the way we’re doing it this year, the teams with their eyes on us and the competition, it’s incredible,’ Arteta said.

‘Big credit to [Madrid], it was my first time as a coach in that dugout and today I realised after three minutes  in this stadium, anything is possible.

‘They are specialists of creating such chaos and belief, and it’s very difficult to understand really what’s going on in the game and have certain certainty about how we controlled it.

‘I think they showed a lot of maturity.’

^ ^ Man Utd vs Lyon: Confirmed team news, predicted lineup and injuries

Andre Onana could come back into the side for Thursday’s clash (Picture: Getty)

Ruben Amorim is set to make a number of changes for Manchester United’s Europa League quarter-final second leg with Lyon tonight.

United looked to be heading for an important away win in France before Rayan Cherki’s late goal secured a 2-2 draw for Lyon to set up an enticing second leg at Old Trafford.

And with the Red Devils’ disappointing 4-1 loss to Newcastle on the weekend leaving them 14th in the Premier League, any hopes of a return to Europe next season rest solely on winning the Europa League.

With that in mind, Amorim rang the changes for Sunday’s defeat at St James’ Park and may do so again for this evening’s second leg.

After two mistakes in the first leg, Andre Onana was dropped for Altay Bayindir at the weekend, but Amorim confirmed that the Cameroonian shotstopper would return to the starting XI.

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‘Onana will play tomorrow,’ he said on Wednesday. ‘I just think first of all as a coach, and also as a former player, I try to do things that can help a player in this situation. So sometimes we talk about managing players physically, we have to manage them also mentally.

‘But then, they have to return to competition and Onana is ready. He had one weekend that I felt it was better for him to not play, and a good thing for Altay, and this week, my thinking was to put Onana to play.’

Joshua Zirkzee has been ruled out for the rest of the season (Picture: Getty)

One player who will not start in midweek, though, is Joshua Zirkzee who pulled up with an injury during the second half at Newcastle and is now set to miss the rest of the season.

‘Joshua is out for the season,’ Amorim said. ‘He is not going to play anymore this season. We must prepare him for next season. It is hard for any player to stop, but it’s football. He has to be ready to recover.’

With Zirkzee injured and Chido Obi ineligible to play in Europe, Rasmus Hojlund is expected to lead the line in front of Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho.

How United could line up (Picture: Metro)

Patrick Dorgu and Casemiro could return at left wing-back and central midfield, respectively, while Harry Maguire is also likely to return in the heart of defence.

Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount continued their comebacks from longer-term injuries with more minutes off the bench on Sunday, and both will surely be pushing for a start.

Up Next

Elsewhere, Ayden Heaven was a surprise figure on the United bench at the weekend but the young defender will not be available for the clash with Lyon after suffering a small setback in his recovery.

Matthijs de Ligt, Amad Diallo and Jonny Evans were all seen in training on Wednesday at Carrington but won’t be fit enough to play a part in tonight’s clash.

Predicted Man Utd XI to face Lyon

Onana; Mazraoui, Maguire, Yoro; Dalot, Ugarte, Casemiro, Dorgu; Fernandes, Garnacho; Hojlund.

Where to watch Man Utd vs Lyon? Kick-off time and TV channel

The second leg of the Europa League quarter-final between Manchester United and Lyon kicks off tonight at 8pm.

The match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 7pm.

TNT Sports subscribers can also stream the contest live online via the Discovery+ app and website.

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^ ^ Jamie Carragher aims dig at Marcus Rashford after Europa League anthem plays during Aston Villa vs PSG

Marcus Rashford and Aston Villa were eliminated from the Champions League by PSG (EPA)

Jamie Carragher couldn’t resist a dig at Marcus Rashford after the Europa League anthem was mistakenly played before Aston Villa’s Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday night.

As the Villa and PSG players lined up in front of the crowd before kick-off at Villa Park, the Europa League anthem could be heard instead of the iconic Champions League music.

Both sets of players look puzzled as the Europa League music played around the stadium, while Villa defender Ezri Konsa facepalmed and shook his head.

Carragher, meanwhile, saw the funny side during CBS Sports’ live coverage but as the camera panned to Rashford, the former Liverpool defender took aim at Manchester United’s on-loan forward.

‘I mean, actually… Marcus Rashford seems fine – he’s used to it,’ Carragher said, in reference to United’s frequent failure to reach the Champions League.

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Jamie Carragher: “Marcus Rashford seems to be fine, he's used to it”😭😭😭pic.twitter.com/2OTkkEcUdh

— NRJ🍄 (@lfcnrj) April 15, 2025

Speaking about the anthem error at Villa Park, former Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker told CBS Sports: ‘I would’ve laughed, I would’ve said, ‘what nugget pressed the wrong button?’.

‘I’ll be laughing to myself but at that point you’re just so focused on the game as a player.

‘It doesn’t make a difference. Nico [Cantor] made the point where he said if you’re Paris Saint-Germain you’re probably going to be arrogant and say, ‘how are we playing these guys who are playing the wrong anthem?’. It might motivate them a bit more.

‘I don’t look it as too much of a big deal. It’s more of an embarrassment from the club perspective, but those players there, they’re already dialled in and tuned in.

‘I don’t think it’s too much of a big thing from a player perspective.’

CBS Sports pundit Nico Cantor added: ‘I grew up in a football culture where every single detail matters,

‘From what you eat before the game, what you’re doing the night before, to how you finish the game in minute 90 – it’s just embarrassing.

‘It’s so anti-climatic to then go out and see my players lined up and it’s the Europa League anthem, that’s just not how you want to go out.’

Villa, meanwhile, ended up securing a 3-2 victory in the return leg against PSG on Tuesday night but it wasn’t enough to reach the Champions League semi-final as the French side won 5-4 on aggregate.

PSG took a two-goal lead in the first half at Villa Park through Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes but Unai Emery’s side staged an impressive comeback with Youri Tielemans, John McGinn and Konsa all finding the net.

However, Villa were unable to find that vital fourth goal at Villa Park before the full-time whistle, bringing an end to an impressive run in the Champions League this season.

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^ ^ Man Utd icon names three players who are showing promise under Ruben Amorim

Patrick Dorgu arrived from Lecce in January (Picture: Getty Images)

Iconic Manchester United defender Jaap Stam feels Ruben Amorim has three players at the back who have the potential to do good things at the club.

The Red Devils are going through a very difficult spell and there is expected to be something of a clear out this summer as the manager tries to assemble a squad to suit his 3-4-3 formation.

Selling players is not always easy for Manchester United given the enormous wages they pay, but they will do their best to get rid of a number of big names deemed surplus to requirements.

Three players who Stam feels definitely have futures at Old Trafford, though, are the defensive trio of Leny Yoro, Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven.

Dorgu, 20, Yoro, 19, and Heaven, 18, are all finding their way in the Premier League, but the Dutchman reckons they have bright futures.

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‘I think Dorgu is doing well,’ Stam told Free Bets. ‘He’s showing promise, energy, and has the stamina to go up and down the pitch. He’s showing improvement, which is what you want to see.

‘Yoro has been unlucky with injuries, so he hasn’t been fit consistently since joining. But he’s a young guy with the right tools.

Leny Yoro has quickly become a regular for Manchester United (Picture: Getty Images)

‘He’s solid defensively, has good pace, and can defend effectively in larger spaces. He’s also capable of driving forward with the ball.

‘However, he needs to improve when he’s in possession; finding the right passes and making the right decisions. That’s an area where his teammates, particularly the midfielders, need to support him by making themselves available for passes. It’s not all on him; it’s about the team working together.

‘As for Heaven, I’ve been impressed. He looks promising and shows great control over his game, especially in possession. He’s comfortable on the ball, drives forward with purpose, and understands when to step in or cover defensively.

Ayden Heaven has looked good in his brief Manchester United career so far (Picture: Getty Images)

‘He’s quick, has good awareness, and shows maturity in his decision-making, which is impressive for a young player at this level. Overall, he’s got a lot of potential.’

Heaven has made just two Premier League appearances so far in his career, having signed from Arsenal in February.

The teenager showed promise in his brief outings for the Red Devils, though, before suffering an ankle injury which frustratingly sidelined him.

‘It was not so serious so he is recovering,’ said Amorim at the end of March. ‘He is going to return this season, for sure.’

Heaven duly returned to the substitutes’ bench in the 4-1 defeat to Newcastle on Sunday and will hope to be involved again in the remaining Premier League fixtures.

Up Next

Yoro was hit with criticism after the Red Devils were comfortably beaten 4-1 by Newcastle at the weekend.

His compatriot Thierry Henry appeared on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football and was baffled by the defender’s reaction to Harvey Barnes’ second goal.

‘I invite everyone to stay on Leny Yoro. First and foremost, he’s going to try to play for offside,’ Henry said.

‘It’s a great finish from Barnes but please stay on Yoro and what he’s asking for… pause.

‘I don’t know what he’s looking at. What are you looking at? Are you looking at the linesman to try to see if he’s going to bail you out? I don’t know.

‘I don’t know if he thought there was an offside, I don’t know. We all know it’s a goal! What are you looking at?! I actually don’t know. I’ve never seen that before.’

^ ^ Arsenal warned Real Madrid won’t even need an early goal to complete comeback

Mikel Arteta and David Raya were at the Bernabeu on Tuesday for pre-match press conference duties (Picture: Getty)

Jamie Carragher has warned Arsenal they will be making a grave mistake if they believe it’s a case of mission accomplished against Real Madrid if they avoid conceding an early goal.

The Gunners are in a commanding position following last week’s 3-0 win over the reigning European champions and will hope to seal a place in the semi finals this evening.

Real, however, boast a remarkable track record of completing improbable comebacks in this competition as the likes of Manchester City have found out to their cost in recent seasons.

CBS pundit Micah Richards fears it could be a long night in store for Mikel Arteta’s men if they fall behind early, but fellow analyst Jamie Carragher insists Real will still feel confident of completing another remontada if theyopen the scoring with half an hour remaining.

‘Maybe, if they score early in the first 20 minutes, yes it can happen,’ said Richards. ‘But they need to score early.

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‘The more the game goes the more frustrated Real Madrid become and Arsenal can catch them on the counter attack. But if they score early doors it’s backs against the walls stuff.’

Carragher, countered, arguing that there was no need for Real to go hell for leather in the early stages and claimed a more patient approach was likely to reap dividends.

Probable Real Madrid line-up vs Arsenal

Real Madrid could move Federico Valverde back into midfield against Arsenal

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya will have a big role to play against Real Madrid (Picture: Getty)

‘I think they need to have scored a goal before the 60th minute,’ he said. ‘And they’ve got to give themselves half an hour to get two.

‘I think half an hour is enough time. If you got for it to get two goals at the Bernabeu, we saw them get two goals in a minute was it against Manchester City a couple of years ago?

‘We saw tonight Villa got two goals in three or four minutes. I think they’d have to give themselves not sort of 15 minutes or so, a good half an hour needing two goals is enough.

‘You don’t need to start quick, of course you want to build up some momentum and try and get the early goal, but 1-0 with half an hour or half time is fine.’

What tactics will Mikel Arteta use?

Mikel Arteta insists Arsenal are going to try to win the game at the Bernabeu (Picture: Getty)

Of course, were Arsenal to score, even with the away goals rule now obsolete, Arteta’s team would put themselves in a near unassailable position and the Spaniard insists attack will represent the best form of defence.

‘To win it,’ Arteta said when asked how he would approach the match. ‘It’s the same as we did in London.

‘Our preparation for the game has been about the things that we have to do, the things that we have to dominate throughout the game, in different phases to give us the best possible chance to win the game.

‘That’s clear in our mindset, and the way we’re going to play tomorrow.’

‘Hopefully every game we do it differently. It would be very boring for 70 games to prepare the same plan and the same scenario for the players. So, it’s a different context to the first leg, that’s in the past.

‘We take learnings from it – some very good, some others that we have to do better than we did in London, and then have the capacity to have the intention to take the game where we want and be able to adapt quickly to any other kind of scenario to take the game where we want again.’

^ ^ Jason Tindall left emotional over Eddie Howe pneumonia battle: ‘It’s really difficult’

Jason Tindall says Newcastle boss Eddie Howe will only return when he is ready (Picture: Getty)

Jason Tindall admits it’s been ‘really difficult’ to see his close friend and Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe battling pneumonia in hospital.

Premier League football club Newcastle confirmed on Monday that Howe is still recovering after being diagnosed with the lung issue.

Howe was absent from Newcastle’s 4-1 win over Manchester United on Sunday and will also miss upcoming matches against Crystal Palace and Aston Villa this week.

It was first revealed on Saturday that Howe was struggling with an illness, with the 47-year-old Englishman having been in hospital since Friday.

Newcastle’s assistant manager Tindall – who has worked as Howe’s No.2 for almost two decades – was asked in a press conference on Tuesday what the last few days had been like for him on a personal level.

Jason Tindall shares emotional reaction to Eddie Howe’s illness

‘It’s really difficult,’ Tindall said. ‘Especially when it’s someone you’ve worked so closely with for such a long time. He’s never missed more than a day or two in all the time we’ve been working together.

Jason Tindall first met Eddie Howe at AFC Bournemouth in 1998 (Picture: Getty)

‘It’s a new situation for me. But the most important thing, and what gives you some comfort, is that he’s in the best possible hands.’

Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall’s long-standing partnership

Tindall and Howe have known each other for a total of 27 years, with the duo having first met when they were playing together at AFC Bournemouth.

The pair both played as defenders – and when Howe became Bournemouth manager in 2009 – Tindall was named as his assistant as they successfully kept the club in League Two, avoiding relegation on a -17 points deduction, before leading the south coast side to promotion in the following season.

Jason Tindallhas been ‘texting’ Eddie Howe since his hospital admission (Picture: Getty)

Howe left Bournemouth to manage Burnley in 2011 and took Tindall with him as they continued their managerial partnership in Lancashire.

When Howe returned to Bournemouth for his second spell as manager in 2012, Tindall was again by Howe’s side all the way up to 2020 as they incredibly guided the Cherries from League One to the Premier League for the first time in the club’s history, keeping them there for five seasons.

After a brief spell apart, they linked up again at Newcastle in 2021 and having been working together ever since, helping the Magpies clinch the Carabao Cup trophy this term.

What is Pneumonia?

According to the NHS website, pneumonia is a lung inflammation usually caused by an infection.

Most people recover in two to four weeks but babies, older adults, and those with heart or lung issues may need hospital care.

Symptoms of pneumonia can include:

• a cough – you may cough up yellow or green mucus
• shortness of breath
• a high temperature
• chest pain
• an aching body
• feeling very tired
• loss of appetite
• making wheezing noises when you breathe
• feeling confused

Minimal contact as Eddie Howe focuses on recovery

Tindall says he has been ‘texting’ Howe since he was admitted to hospital but admits contact has been minimal as the latter focuses on his recovery.

‘[We exchanged] a few text messages yesterday,’ Tindall added. ‘It’s been minimal contact really.

‘I think the most important thing now is for him to rest and recover and probably not to worry too much about anything other than making sure he is recovered and getting better as quickly as possible.

‘I’d imagine in the next couple of days, if he’s feeling better, we’ll have a little bit more dialogue. But as things stand there’s been minimal contact.

‘When health is involved, that comes first and foremost above everything else.

‘I’m sure when he does return he’s ease himself back into the role but it’s important when he does come back that he’s able to lead the team like he always does.

‘Hopefully that’s soon. It’s a day-by-day thing. He’s in the best possible hands right now. Hopefully we can have him here as our leader as soon as possible but only when it’s 100 per cent right to do so.’